Live Gigs: Gareth Liddiard @ National Gallery of Victoria’s Friday Nights

Live Gigs: Gareth Liddiard @ National Gallery of Victoria’s Friday Nights

Right, to start with I’ve not been posting as much as I would like too, oh well what can I do? Post more, I guess. Anyway here’s a another reason I when I Melbourne about a month ago.

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 I totally love this man, I’ve most likely seen him play live one way or another more than anyone else in the last ten years. Him solo and with his band called The Drones also now playing Patti Smith covers too. I when to Sydney early this year to see them at the Opera House, couple of years ago when to Melbourne to see the ATP festival and pretty much seen them every time they played in Perth in the last ten years or so. He’s so great and I’ll do my best to tell you why now and if not I don’t think this will be the last time I write about them here anyway well unless I really don’t post anything at all again here, which could happen.

This one was a special show/night well I like to think so, it was at the amazing NGV or for longer the National Gallery of Victoria. In the great hall which for anyone who’s never been is very, very, very long hall doors open in the middle and you walk in a see the stage on the other side, right and left it just stretches out longways plus it’s got very, very, very high ceiling which is somehow a lead-light or looks like one but don’t ask me? It’s a huge room if you get the picture, it’s an art gallery so it’s not your normal gig venue. I did see Glenn Richards from Augie March the Friday the week before but was the pretty much the day I flew in but I have to say I always enjoy Gaz and his Drones more well I still do love you Glenn and Augie too but just not as much, Glenn did played a great show, Dan Luscombe from The Drones played with him too.

Gaz show was the day before The Drones was flying overseas for a Europe tour which they have now just finished, yes it’s taken me that long to write about this. I haven’t seen him do his solo thingy for about 12 months, last time I when with a now ex and his was the last show we seen together, it was at a bar where everyone just keep talking while he was on stage, it wasn’t that great because of both those reasons. He just plays an acoustic guitar for his solo shows so it’s like straight out of the dictionary, he could play his electric guitar by himself I guess but did read once that’s also how he writes his songs before he brings The Drones in to play them or in 2010 he did record his only solo album, so far with just an acoustic.

Right let’s see if I remember the set list now? This might be wrong order but he did play all of these tracks. The first three songs from that solo album: Blondin Makes An Omelette, Highplains Mailman and Strange Tourist but not in that order plus Shark Fin Blues got thrown in-between somewhere then the new song  Taman Shud got it’s live debut which was very different to hear it on just an acoustic but I think he could play any of The Drones tracks like that if need be. Someone who was very, very, very drunk wanted him to play something I forget what now because he didn’t, he gave out every reason not in the book. Then the last three songs was from the album called Gala Mill: Jezebel, I Don’t Ever Want To Change and Sixteen Straws in that order which was so great heard again, It’s been awhile because this year has been about the anniversary of the album called Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By. All these albums plus the last one called I See Seaweed and even the debut one called Here Come The Lies I think I could write a post about under the title Classic Albums so hopefully I will in the near future. He’s always more talky at these solo shows, alot of really funny jokes too. He sit down and it’s all a bit more mellow, no feedback and jumping around.

The art gallery was a bit different but great venue. No support band but there was DJ playing dance music where no one was dancing, you could buy pricey dinner and sit down at table to eat, an art lecture by Dr. whoever and what’s they name? or just look at some art but I tell you don’t drink your beer at the same time, there was a choral performing too, last but not least local artist Kenny Pittock who does alot of black & white drawing did his thing, had a really cool kind-off book thingy giveaway which was, yeah really cool, very entertaining too and yeah that’s his art at the top of page. That’s the little NGV hand-out thingy of the night below too. So to finish of this post I’ll just say when arriving someone in a flash suit asked me “Are you here for the function Sir?”

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a1000mistakes

Well, I'm dyslexic so writing about something I love: Music, might help but it's most likely just full of mistakes. That title is also lyrics from The Drones song called I Don't Want To Change. Oh, my name is William and thanks for having a look.